HTC Android OS infographic reveals lengthy software update process

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HTC wants phone owners to know why it takes so long for the latest version of Android to arrive, so it has released a webpage and complimentary infographic to detail the exhausting process.

It's not too far-fetched to say the No. 1 complaint about Android is the speed at which the latest software update rolls out. Or doesn't roll out. News will break about a new Android update, but it won't actually release for existing Android devices until months later. And for some, it never arrives at all.

Even new smartphones and tablets sometimes launch with an old version of Android. Just look at the Moto G. It launched in some markets running Android 4.3 Jelly Bean, even though Android 4.4 KiKit had unveiled a month earlier. HTC claims however to roll out updates as fast as possible. In fact, the manufacturer has never taken longer than a year to issue an update (unlike rival manufacturers LG and Motorola and carrier AT&T).

That said, the HTC Evo 3D didn't get an update from Android 2.3 to Android 4.0 for roughly 10 months. That's an unusual case though, especially considering HTC's update average is 4.7 months, according to Ars Technica. Still, why does it take so long for HTC and other carriers to issue Android updates? Well, HTC blames it on the "several stages" to adaptation.

HTC wants to be transparent about these stages, so it has published an infographic - called The Anatomy of an Android OS Update - to show the "steps of preparation" and progress (by both device and carrier). There are five stages altogether, starting with "evaluation," then "development," "integration," "certification," and finally, "push to consumer."

HTC's infographic highlights the HTC One and its OS version for all the major US carriers, and it lists other HTC devices like the the HTC One Max, etc. Check out infographic for yourself, and let us know in the comments below what you think about the speed at which Android software updates roll out.